Sedate lady running 12-18 November 2018 #amrunning #running

A week when I did most of my exercise activities with my friend Jenny. Which is fine – and I made her pose for a photo on those grounds – but she’s probably tired of me by now! Especially after Thursday’s headtorch-related meltdown …

Tuesday – Because my husband was going to be away Friday night, I wanted to limit the number of evenings I was out running, so I jumped at the chance to do an earlier-evening-than-club run run with Jenny.

Look – I totally drew that lamp from the Pixar animations!

We had a lovely amble around, Jenny’s picking things up after a long period under the weather – but I was a bit late starting out and decided to put Paul’s form tips from last week into play. Goodness me: I terrified myself doing my first mile in 10:40 in the dark and up a hill! However, it was a bit of a strain, I did it on the last mile, too, and got my husband got some pics of me, too blurred to share but they did show my arms going back more and my feet kicking back higher, and I sent them to Paul who was pleased. However, it makes me run faster than I can breathe for and makes my ankles, calves and glutes a bit sore.

5.6 miles, 12:18 mins per mile

Wednesday – Went to early Dave yoga as it fitted in with having some cheese delivered. I managed a shoulder stand for eight breaths this time, really chuffed about that, and didn’t hurt as much from the class as last week. I think I’m going to try to get to this one every week as it is a proper work-out that leaves me mopping my forehead.

Thursday – Out with Jenny early evening again. On Wednesday, my new head torch had arrived (and Thursday saw my packs of gels come – I am so fortunate to be able to tolerate gels. These are Torq rhubarb & custard and cherry bakewell, one of their newer flavours, which I tested out on my long run with Ruth a while ago, and yummy.

So I instagrammed my pic of my torch and strapped it on my head and set off … and WAH! So it’s big and heavy and VERY bright even with only the central or two outer lights lit. And if I had it angled down enough not to blind people as I ran past them (I still saw people shield their eyes) and to light the path, I could SEE it in the top of my field of vision. Which is a) annoying and b) guaranteed to give me a migraine. I got very cross and upset and by the time I reached our meeting point (having already started late trying to get the blasted thing to work) I was in tears and not breathing well and telling Jenny to go on without me. She very kindly said I should stop and regroup a bit, and then I had the idea of expanding it and putting it round my waist. Climbing into it was a bit tricky but I got it done and it worked well in the end. Jenny had a shoe light and an armband and a head torch and a chap said to us as we ran down a hill “Ooh, you’re well lit up, girls” which we took as a compliment. So it all worked out OK in the end.

By the way, if you run with no lights on and you’re not lit up by headlamps even though you’re wearing flouro/reflective kit, you will look like this:

6 miles, 12:59 mins per mile

Friday – Friday (easier) yoga and there was Jenny again. Lucky we get on and I don’t think I made her giggle too much. We concentrated on opening and relaxing shoulders and chests, which I need, and it was a good session.

Saturday – Long run day as I have complicated things by having my Track and Field Official course both days next weekend, so I won’t be able to run either day easily, and so I want to front-load my week by running on Monday. So long run day it was. Matthew was away with his brother, so I got up at 5, had breakfast, did some work (I know, I know) and set out at 8am.

I started off with Mary Ellen, who was recovering from a cold (and was a very brave and uncomplaining soldier). We ran down to parkrun through the green way we did a few weeks ago, which is lovely, but I had somehow miscalculated the time needed (I think not taking into account some roads that take ages to cross) and got in a panic we weren’t going to make it to parkrun in time. So we went a bit under the pace I had planned, given this was a long run, and we paid for it. We saw my friend Andy and his wife Lis and their new baby (Andy running, Lis and bab not) and that was lovely, then set off on parkun. Not a PW at 38:00 or so, and lovely to see a good few friends around the course and marshalling. Then we picked up Jenny and set out to run back.

Jenny and Liz and a useful sign

I was on 7 miles by now and really needed another 4 but I was seriously flagging. I had a gel and we went up Holders Lane (went = walked – we were all tired) and then set off back home. I got to 9 miles at a decision point and, having reassured Jenny that I was OK, had a rest day planned for Sunday and wasn’t pushing myself to extremes, however I was going to limit it to 10 miles as was tired. So we said goodbye and then I whipped up and down side streets, counting grimly to myself, and made it 11 anyway.

I was actually pleased with my fairly regular splits – you can see me rushing to parkrun miles 2-4 then doing even splits at parkrun, flagging and flailing then picking it up again. Good resilience training, right?

Then I had a lie-down and a sausage sandwich then walked 3 miles in total to and from an Indian-inspired high tea for a friend’s birthday. As you do.

11 miles, 12:28 mins per mile

Sunday – REST DAY!!! OK, I trimmed three big plants in the garden while Matthew installed our new video doorbell, but apart from that …

And although I will admit to not fitting in my Paul Circuits this week, I let myself off – I had so much work (over 40 hours of billable hours done, plus admin) and so it just wasn’t feasible. However, I stretched my hamstrings 6/7 days and did 30 squats while making my breakfast this morning.

Miles this week: 22.6

Progress towards 1,000 miles in the year: 930 (916 was my end of November mini-goal)

I take part in the Weekly Wrap run by two wonderful running women and joined by lots of other inspirational women. Wendy’s weekly wrap is here and Holly’s is here. (to add when they’re up)

Related

Ah, thanks, Elaine. I’ve been doing them since the late summer and you can find all of them by clicking on “running” in the categories. I always post on a Sunday and share to FB. Glad you enjoyed it and hope you’re out and about with the sedate ladies again soon!

Rhubarb & custard? I don’t know if those are the same as they are here, but I cannot fathom that in a gel texture. I need to find something I can do — cannot do a Half on no food
Your no light selfie is a great reminder of why we need to be lit up well. How frustrating with your head lamp.
Way to go on 930, you’re having an awesome year

I think we might have had a conversation about custard before … anyway, they are known for their pudding flavours and I think this works really well although yes, if you stop to think about it, it’s weird in a gel texture.

I was quite shocked by my no-light selfie because it just shows how you will be if you’re on a side road with no street lamps to a car whose headlamps are not on you yet.

I am really pleased with my 930, so much further than the whole of last year already and it’s not felt hard to do at all.

You never know what people are going to pick up on! What shop did your friend find it in? Oh – yes, you can get it on Amazon now – hooray! Just need to find a shop that does singles before I commit to a box.

Wow, I bet I could get my husband to run if I tempted him with rhubarb and custard gels! He loves rhubarb. Me, not so much.

My headlamp is super bright, but I only use it in the early morning and no one is up for me to blind with it. It does take a bit of getting used to and adjusting the angle, etc. I also have those knuckle lights–those are crazy bright! Back in the day when I ran before the boys got up, I didn’t have any lights. I wore a red flashing light and that was it.

I love rhubarb but I have to say I love cherry bakewell more – you can taste the cherry, the almond and marzipan and even the pastry! That makes sense, I could use this on my head in the mornings if I can get it to not shine in my eyes but still shine on the ground. I have to look out for knuckle lights though I have armband and clip one ones to make me visible, the headlamp is more to see the ground.

Thank you, it came out OK in the end, which is all that matters, and I know that training for resilience is very worthwhile. I am very lucky with my running friends. Even if no one wants to go as far as me (though the friend I’m running with today is marathon training at the moment) people will always join me for loops and I find it comforting to return to base every now and again. I am very lucky – and know it – with gels as they’ve never upset me, although I’ve had all sorts of other stomach issues when running!

How clever to think of putting your light around your waist! I have a LED lighted band that’s meant for your upper arm. But the band overlaps and hides several of the lights, so I wear it around my neck. It’s the perfect size and I feel visible from all angles. And yes, it looks like a dog collar. LOL. I’ve never heard of Torq but it seems they have some unusual flavors (as compared to the typical US gels anyway). Thanks for linking.

I love the idea of your lit dog collar – great idea! The headlamp only just goes round me but was comfortable enough.

Torq is great, they have so many pudding flavours – they do an apple crumble which is nice and also a lemon drizzle cake which I tried but found too lemony (ha) but then I bet it would be nice to cut through all the sweetness after lots of the other ones. They also do a caramel macciato or some such with caffeine AND guarana but that one gave me a bit too much of a buzz and I fear it would drop you a bit hard!

Interestingly, we have different Gu flavours to the US ones. I hear of a choc mint chip one but not here!

My tummy does not tolerate gels anymore (except for the SiS gels, which area really “liquid-like”), but I love those flavors you mentioned! I had to laugh at your antics with the headlamp. I have never used a headlamp, and don’t think I’d like it…my Knuckle Lights are fantastic, though. I also have a lighted belt and arm bands, so I think I’m good 😉

I used and loved SiS for my first marathon but it was a lot to carry and I discovered I could cope with the thicker ones and they were less bulk for the calories! The Torq flavours are amazing.

I don’t know if you have good street lighting where you are but here it can be very poor and dark, so I need the headlamp to see where I’m going (as well as clip on lights front and back to make me more visible). The knuckle ones do look great, though. And I can laugh at myself now but things going wrong with running kit can make you SO CROSS at the time, can’t they!

Sounds like a great week! I wore my headlamp on a run last week and forgot to take it off when I grabbed my gym bag for the locker room. Luckily I noticed it in the elevator mirror before I walked into the gym all lit up!

Luckily I’m retired and so I rarely run in the dark. A few years back we had a REALLY mild winter (we’re overdue for another I personally think), and I did often run into dusk — found the Christmas lights so soothing!

Good job on your long run & the shoulder stand! I’ve been getting back into more yoga lately myself.

Oh, I find most headlamps frustrating for a bunch of reasons. I actually have a small clip-on light that I attach to headband/earwarmer or hat. It’s lighter and not as bright as most headlamps, plus my headgear doesn’t bounce around like headlamp straps tend to do. And I’ve also used the lamp around waist trick before!

So inspired by you keeping track of your running, Liz! I love how dedicated you are to your sport and how you keep track of it and write about it frequently on this blog. It’s given me ideas about how I can further invest in my own fitness more meticulously and set goals for myself as you have done, instead of just doing them. Keep it up. (:

Ah, thank you, Thomas, that’s lovely to read. I find having goals for regular practice really helps (and of course if you need any tips and support, just message me). I love running but I did want to redress a slight imbalance I saw in the running blogs I was finding, towards over-achievers maybe, and wanted to show what a “normal”, back of the pack runner does and also highlight the great opportunities there are to volunteer and give back. And then I found this wonderful community of excellent women in the wrap-up which has been even more marvellous and given me some great support and tips (see upcoming photo of my new headgear hack!).

My husband has a headlight like yours for poking around in the backs of computers and suchlike. I use it for slug hunting in the garden. When I run in the dark, I have one rather inadequate armband with little red LED lights that tends to end up obscured by a fold in my sleeve, so I try not to go off-pavement after dark, but sometimes it’s just unavoidable. I’m pretty sure a headlamp would give me a migraine, too, but I’ve seem some pretty amazing chest lights that I’m considering. Of course, that would probably hit me in the chin. Dilemmas, dilemmas.

I’ve seen the chest ones but I find my head lamp round my waist works really really well. And yes, we use them for going in the storage area at the back of the top floor of the house to get the Christmas tree out, etc, too!